EAST RUTHERFORD — Even with six straight losses the always stoic Tom Coughlin found a moment for some humor at his press conference yesterday.

A member of the Giants media corps asked the coach how he spent his rare two days off this past weekend.

“I took a long walk Saturday,” answered the coach. “I thought the leaves were nice. Someone told me they always change this time of year.”

A Giants team that started dropping games long before the first leaves fell, was back to work Monday following Thursday’s 27-21 loss in Chicago that dropped its record to 0-6.

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Their next chance to end their longest season-opening losing streak since 1976 will be at Metlife Stadium Monday when they host the 1-4 Minnesota Vikings.

Brandon Jacobs, who ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the loss at Chicago, and backup Da’Rel Scott were still nursing hamstring problems and sat out Monday’s workout.

When asked why he was short on running backs at the workout Coughlin responded with a smile, “what do you mean? We had one. We’re all set. We had Jon Conner and Michael Cox (both reserves). They had a pretty good practice, too.”

The Giants expect Scott and Jacobs to be on the field Thursday when practice resumes for the Vikings game. It’s uncertain if David Wilson will be in town, since he was in Los Angeles for the weekend getting his neck injuries examined by a new medical team.

Cox, a seventh-round draft pick out of UMass, has played sparingly in the six games — all on special teams.

After yesterday’s session Cox told the media “it was a little strange being the only one out there and being able to practice and everything. It went good.”

It’s the first time he has had extended work running the ball since his only action so far has come on two kickoff runbacks.

Coughlin said Cox isn’t ready for a more involved workload.

“He’s young,” said the coach. “It’s sophisticated and complex. Things that are thrown at him, particularly in the protection area. So you’ve got to be careful.”

“He obviously has a lot going, but there are some things I think right now we feel good about. There are other things not so. We’re working on the not so.”

Cox feels he can handle the running duties when they are presented. It’s the pass protection for Eli Manning that Coughlin is concerned about,

“It’s just a lot to learn. You have to be able to read the defensive fronts, the secondary. Just everything kind of like a quarterback does. That’s the biggest difference,” said Cox, who went to UMass after a prep career at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.

“I feel like I’m ready to go,” the rookie said, “but obviously just working on everything, pass protection, just watching more film and the whole offense and everything.”

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Jacobs remains the likely starter in the running game and says he’ll be 100% at the next workout on Thursday.

“Basically, I’ve been off for a while and I felt great, no question about it,” said Jacobs. “I feel really good now, to be honest with you. Just doing what I have to do to take care of it,”

“Hamstrings can be tricky, especially when you feel like they are healed and ready to go. I’m just taking it very precautionary. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue.”

After helping the Giants win Super Bowl XLIV over New England in Indianapolis, Jacobs left the Giants for a better pay package from the 49ers. But he carried only four times with the ’Niners in 2012, got cut late in the season and returned Sept. 10 when Andre Brown was lost for 6-8 weeks with a broken ankle.